The Best of the Best

It’s hard to imagine a world without video games. For some, they’re a simple diversion — a way to pass time. For others, they’re a portal to strange and wonderful alternate universes. For everyone, whether you’re into video games or not, they’re an integrally important part of our culture.

From Adventure to Zork, here are our picks for the All-TIME 100 greatest video games.

Bit ridiculous how games like Hunt the Wumpus and M.U.L.E. have so many people saying they don't deserve to be on the list. Just because you weren't born yet, doesn't make them a bad game. It seems like every time someone wants to make a top 100 all time list of games/movies/albums based on voters, it just ends up being stuff that released in the last couple years.

Best game ever created!!! Best game ever created!!! Best game ever created!!! Best game ever created!!! Best game ever created!!! Best game ever created!!! Best game ever created!!! Best game ever created!!! Best game ever created!!! Best game ever created!!! Best game ever created!!! Best game ever created!!!

Paperboy and Pitfall are in the 80's list but Star Wars isn't? That doesn't reflect at all the arcade scene of the 80's I remember; kids queuing up at the sit-down Star Wars game. And I'm not a huge fan of the films, I just remember the game being a runaway success, the first 3D space shooter and a great game.

Banjo Kazooie, Minecraft, Rome Total War, Pokemon, Football Manager, Monkey Island, Age of Empires are all glaring omissions. But the weirdest, the strangest, omission is the Ocarina of Time. I mean how how how how how could Animal Crossing, the most boring game ever to be devised by man, come ahead of the N64's masterpiece?

Also, it always irritates me when critics put GTA 3 above San Andreas, i've never met anybody that prefers GTA 3, whether it came first is irrelevant in a list that is meant to list the 'greatest' games.

Honestly I just can't see how you left Ocarina of Time out... it's like writing a 'Greatest Films' list and forgetting about The Godfather.

I agree that more games should be on the list, but you should PLAY the games before you speak or vote against them. I've been playing a lot of netback lately and it is one of the best games that I've ever played. (It is hard to get into though.)

Wait, wait, wait. Does anyone care to tell me how any one of the Pokemon or Kingdom Hearts games aren't on here? How about Ratchet & Clank, or any of the other PS2 classics (I know it's ignorant to only mention one console, but it's the one I grew up with, give me a break)? What about Ocarina of Time? Given some of the "games" listed on here (Solitaire???), I'm surprised that they got anything right..

Those of you who voted against Thief: The Dark Project are either fools or never played the game. I've played hundreds of games from Atari to the NES to the PC to the PS3 and XBox 360. Thief: The Dark Project is the best of them all.

Ocarina of Time. That's all that really needs to be said, but also
Majora's Mask and A Link to the Past are right up there as well. Not to
mention Windwaker, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword. All of these
are better games than most on this joke of a list. The only conclusion I
can draw is that whoever made this list doesn't actually play video
games. Seriously, Angry Birds? A slap in the face to Shigeru Miyamoto.

Final Fantasy Tactics has some mistakes to cover up. It may be great sometimes, but it's mistakes sometimes really kicks itself off. Why is there a miss on attacks sometimes? Okay, they can add the miss and hit percentages to the attacks, but why is there also a "miss" on reviving allies? You really need the reviving especially when grinding and fighting overpowered wild monsters.

Why did they came up with the idea of having a chance percentage on reviving? Square likes to spice things up by experimenting with each new games and sequels, but this is one of their unwanted experiment results.

It's a great game, but not the best one, I don't know if it really deserves to be added on this list. It has some great plot, some great systems.

I see that Solitaire of all this is listed as a "video game" and not only that but listed as one of the top 100 VGs of all time. All I have to say is take it off the list 'cause Solitaire ain't a "video game"

@NotYoAverage I didn't vote in this poll, but I do think Final Fantasy VII is terrible. Not only is it boring, but it's also lame and cliche and it really does not deserve to be the best rpg of all time, a game like Suikoden or Chrono Cross should.

@MikeAkers@SuikoKyaCross No one asked for your opinion, the fact that you're getting upset because I like Chrono Cross means that you are incredibly sensitive and I suggest you back up and figure out why you're crying like a baby because I like Chrono Cross... I never even said anything about Chrono Trigger to begin with.

Its not opinion, OoT is the greatet game ever and if its not the best it has to be in the top 10. No action adventure game has perfected its craft like OoT. BTW im not spoiled cause i do my research before commenting. I would be spoiled had I seid some crap like COD is the best ever SMH

at any rate, you must understand that some things in videogames, like in any art form, are not down to opinion. that is because some facts have been ascertained by people who devote their lives to the medium, and no amount of personal opinion can cange them. is it down to opinion whether van gogh is one of the best painters of all time? well it certainly is down to some people's opinions, but not mine. ocarina of time is considered by all the greatest critics to be at least in the top 5 best games of all time, and you haven't brought up any proper arguments to reverse that claim - in fact, your gripes with the game are rather petty and insubstantial. I want to make this constructive, so I will try to tear down your criticisms of the game.- you haven't described the story line, but rather the design of the game. the story is what it is, and it services the gameplay. few people play zelda for the story, although the latest entry in the franchise has the most interesting story zelda's ever seen.

- lack of difficulty: that's obviously down to your opinion. if you are a genius and ou had no trouble at all even in dungeons infamous for their difficulty like the water temple, all the power to you. but ocarina of time is so difficult many people who bought it never finished it, and that is to blame for the onslaught of super-easy zelda games afterwards. so overall, i can't concede that the game is easy.

- auto-jump was a feature consciously included in the game to differentiate it from Mario. what can I say? it works. I don't see how you could have a problem with it.

- lack of character customization. do you mean aesthetics or something that can influence gameplay? if it's aesthetics, i can imagine a little tweaking wouldn't hurt matters, but it goes against the philosophy of the game - link is meant to look like this and we feel a connection through the experiences we live with him, not because we made him to look like us. as for gameplay-sensitive customization, i don't think it's a good idea, skyward sword tried it but i don't think it fits with zelda. gameplay is perfectly tweaked for the objects you're supposed to have, and the rest is up to your wits.

- dreary, bleak environment. ok well the game may not look as sharp and colorful as modern zeldas, i think it has more than its fair share of beautiful vistas. sure, hyrule field can feel a little barren, but the areas you can get into all have their distinct personalities.

but as i said, i don't think your complaints can in any way impact the experience of zelda:ocarina of time. it's a game that was both extremely influential and extremely polished, two qualities that almost never come together in games. and that's a fact.

Does your pedantic essay and grammar policing fill a hole in your life? Chris stated an opinion and followed it with "FACT!", which in this case is a common slang stressor, not a literal declaration. If you left your computer and socialized with actual folks, you might recognize that. But way to argue semantics in a video game thread - I'm sure you've won countless readers over to your side. (See how I avoided the irony of name-calling followed by a condescending claim of acting like an adult?)

In what way is a 15 year old award winning classic appear "cliche" to you? A game is not a movie; don't look it as if it is one. You act as if story line is EVERYTHING and completely neglect all other aspects of the game; exploring dungeons, solving puzzles, fighting bosses, etc. By this point I can see that you have no real taste in video games.

Also, it also bothers me that you say "Art is subjective". Before making stupid statements like that begin with reading what you wrote earlier. Art can be subjective and objective, and the fact that you say otherwise contradicts everything you've wrote earlier.

By the way, think before you say things like "lecturing a child how to act like an adult" and attempting to use other big words. Really makes you come off as an idiot.

@ReikaTachyon@ChrisO'keeffe Bitch please, there are plenty of legitimate reasons. Games score, epic storyline, gameplay, creativity in items, bosses, side quests (leading to lots of playtime value), replay value, the list goes on. Hell, if it's not hard enough play the Master Quest. If you've even played the game through, that is. Keep in mind the game came out 1998 and has gone UP in value.

Now, just out of curiosity, what game is on top of your list? I'm surprised you were able to pry yourself away from it for long enough to puke up that whiny essay.

@ChrisO'keeffe There are 4 issues with your comment. Firstly, I'm not entirely sure you understand what the word "spoiled" means. Spoiled implies that your character and integrity have been damaged to the point at which you have an overwhelming sense of arrogance and self-entitlement. Doing research does not mitigate being spoiled.

Secondly, Ocarina of Time is not perfect, in fact it's (see what I did there, I used "it's" in proper context) far from perfect. Its main flaws are an undeveloped, cliche story line (oooh, lets travel to eight different worlds and collect eight different objects so we can get into the bad guy's castle and save the princess), a blatant and inexcusable lack of difficulty, auto-jump, a lack of character customizability/development, and a dreary, bleak environment that lacks vividness or any intrigue.

Thirdly, even if Ocarina of Time were the best action/adventure game in existence, it doesn't mean that it's the best game. There are other genres besides action/adventure, you twit.

Lastly, and boy am I getting tired of saying this, the statement: "OoT is the greatest game ever" is an O-P-I-N-I-O-N. The quality of any piece of art is entirely dependent upon the viewpoint of the observer. Art is subjective, and the fact that you think otherwise shows just how stupid and unwise you are.

Now, if you wish to argue that this game is indeed the best of all time, you are free to do so. You can make a list of features that, in totality, place Ocarina of Time above and beyond all other games. However, I highly doubt you will do so, as you seem to me like a person who lacks the intellectual capacity to look at anything critically, and will most likely state something stupid like: "naw OoT is the best game ever you idiot". So, unless your next post presents a rational and balanced argument that peaks my interest, I will not waste any more of my precious time lecturing a child on how to act like an adult. Good day, sir.